Bioinspired Spatially Ordered Multicellular Lobules for Liver Regeneration.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Hepatology

Background:

• Cell therapy shows promise for acute liver failure (ALF).
• Therapeutic efficacy is often limited by cell loss and poor arrangement.
• Liver microunits provide inspiration for improved cell therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, spatially ordered multicellular lobule for ALF treatment.
• To utilize microfluidic continuous spinning technology for biomimetic structure fabrication.
• To evaluate the therapeutic potential of these engineered lobules in an ALF rat model.

Main Methods:

• Constructed microfluidics by assembling parallel capillaries.
• Encapsulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), hepatocytes, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in sodium alginate.
• Utilized Ca2+ solutions to form hollow microfibers with specific cellular arrangements mimicking liver lobules.

Main Results:

• Fabricated microfibers closely resembled the cord-like structure of liver lobules.
• Demonstrated outstanding liver-like functions in vitro.
• In ALF rats, biomimetic lobules suppressed inflammation, reduced necrosis, and promoted regeneration.

Conclusions:

• Spatially ordered multicellular microfibers show significant potential for treating ALF.
• This approach offers improved therapeutic efficacy compared to traditional cell therapies.
• The biomimetic lobules represent a promising advancement in regenerative medicine for liver diseases.